Strike the Blood - Volume 6 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE 

THE WATCHDOG’S HOLIDAY 

1 

Yukina Himeragi awoke to the first wan light of morning creeping over the eastern horizon. 

Getting out of bed as silent as a cat, she brushed back her sleep-disheveled hair and let out a small, unguarded yawn. Teardrops stung the corners of her eyes, and she wiped at them with a sleeve. 

Though many people thought otherwise, Yukina was not actually a morning person. In fact, at that very moment she sported a vacant look, her mind still hazy. But at times like this, she looked much younger than her usual cold, mature countenance conveyed. 

Without fanfare, Yukina stripped off and tossed aside the white shirt she wore as a nightgown and proceeded straight to the bathroom. Because it seemed she might nod back off at any moment, she ran a cold shower to wake herself up, bit by bit. 

Coming out of the bathroom, she dried off with a towel and looked herself over in the mirror. She was in perfect physical condition; no fatigue remained from the deadly combat she’d endured during the Harrowing Festival. However, seeing her slender body unchanged, she sighed inadvertently. Maybe I should drink more milk, she thought absentmindedly. 

After that came maintenance on her weapon, Snowdrift Wolf. It was a gleaming silver spear that she polished, one she considered synonymous with her own being. 

Just as wild beasts did not do morning exercises in the natural world, the Lion King Agency’s Sword Shamans did not undergo any special conditioning. In the first place, a little bodybuilding wasn’t going to make a person any more able to fight a demon on even terms. Instead, they thoroughly trained their senses and reflexes. To Yukina, breathing, walking, and other unremarkable activities of everyday life were the training that heightened her ritual energy strength. 

In short order, the apartment next to hers became much livelier, too. 

Apparently, the Akatsuki residence’s girl had slapped her older brother awake a little earlier than usual. Yukina smiled as she imagined the back and forth taking place between the siblings—they got along extremely well. 

“Ah—!” 

All of a sudden, her soft, charming smile changed into the sharp look of an Attack Mage. Someone’s ritual energy was invading the wards that Yukina had erected around her apartment. 

Down from the sky the intruder danced, until it stopped right outside her window. 

Yukina would be at a disadvantage, wielding a spear indoors; she set Snowdrift Wolf aside and drew a knife she’d hidden in the bottom of her schoolbag. Though not as mighty as the spear, it was nonetheless an enchanted weapon imbued with fierce exorcist power, something standard-issue for Sword Shamans. 

Keeping her guard up with the knife raised, Yukina got to her feet and forced open the window in one move. 

But there were no enemies there. 

Instead, a single bird of prey stood before her eyes, one with the glimmer of cold steel in its gaze. 

But before Yukina’s eyes, it suddenly changed shape—into an ordinary piece of paper. It must have been a shikigami—a familiar—and one strong enough to pass through Yukina’s ward with ease. Even the Lion King Agency contained few practitioners able to use shikigami of such power. For simple messenger duty, the ritualized spell was complete overkill. 

However, she sensed no hostility from the caster. 

It was a mystery, but Yukina picked up the letter and opened it anyway. 

This time, she was so shocked that her voice exclaimed: 

“Eh…?!” 

The sun’s rays outside the window were already shining brightly. It seemed that Itogami Island would have another balmy day. 

2 

Coastal scenery flowed past the train car’s window. 

Kojou and Yukina took the monorail to get to school. Thanks to boarding earlier than usual, they were in a less crowded car. The extra space seemed to make the air conditioning more effective. 

However, what was truly different from usual was Yukina’s behavior as she stood beside him. 

She had her silver spear sheathed in the guitar case on her back, just as she always did when monitoring Kojou. But she seemed far away, somehow; from time to time, she looked like she was gazing in the distance as she sighed. 

Kojou, mindful of this, leaned close to her ear and called: “Himeragi? Um, Earth to Himeragi…?” 

But she made no response. All she did was worry her lip a little, mulling something over; she didn’t even respond when he waved his hand in front of her eyes. The lack of reaction from her perfectly shaped face gave him the distinct feeling he was talking to a hologram. 

“Hey, are you all right…? Or maybe you’re not feeling well?” 

Maybe she has a fever, Kojou thought with concern as he peered at his watcher’s face. 

Curious, he put his hand to Yukina’s forehead, hidden under her bangs. Her skin felt pleasantly cool to the touch—but the moment Kojou’s palm registered the feeling, his field of vision literally turned upside down. 

“Eh?!” 

Kojou had no idea what was going on as his body soared into the air. As it turned out, Yukina had swiveled around on the spot, using the weight and motion of Kojou’s body to toss him judo-style. 

Her face still as neutral as that of a doll, Yukina proceeded to put Kojou’s arm in a lock. It was a martial arts technique used by Sword Shamans, experts in anti-demonic combat. Kojou, the so-called World’s Mightiest Vampire, could do nothing to resist her incredible might. In pain far surpassing what one would normally expect from a girl that size, Kojou pathetically cried out for mercy. 

“Nuooo! I give up, I give up—!!” 

“Ah…?!” 

Kojou’s plaintive cries seemed to have finally brought Yukina back to her senses. She released Kojou’s right arm from its rather unnatural twist and hastily squatted close to him as he groaned in agony. 

“Senpai… A-are you all right?!” 

A hollow smile came over Kojou as he spoke, rather sarcastically, “…Well, you’re in better health than I thought. That’s good.” 

Kojou’s touch had made Yukina’s body go into self-defense mode without any conscious thought. Once more, he had become painfully aware of the off-the-charts combat capabilities of a Sword Shaman. Note to self: If I ever come across Yukina sleeping, DO NOT TOUCH. 

But what hurt even more was how not a single one of the passengers had lifted a finger to help Kojou while Yukina was twisting the screws on him. The greater half of the passengers sported looks that said they didn’t think it was worth the effort so early in the morning; the rest were glaring at Kojou like he’d done something to deserve it. The underbelly of human society was truly ugly. 

Looking seriously embarrassed, Yukina hung her head as she earnestly apologized to her classmate. “I’m sorry. I was thinking about something.” 

Well, it was bad manners on my part, too, Kojou said, smiling at his own expense. 

“Something on your mind?” he inquired. 

“Something… Yes, there is something, in a sense.” 

Kojou raised his eyebrows at the strange phrasing. “In a sense?” 

But then the back and forth that morning with his little sister came to mind: “Oh yeah, the middle schoolers are heading off on an extended field trip real soon. You ready for it, Himeragi?” 

“Field trip…” 

Yukina’s expression grew darker still. Did I say something wrong? Kojou wondered nervously. 

Yukina wasn’t just any student; she was an Attack Mage dispatched by the Lion King Agency to watch over Kojou. In that sense, Saikai Academy was just a place where she observed the Fourth Primogenitor according to her duty. It was quite possible she wouldn’t be able to participate in a field trip irrelevant to her mission. 

If that was the case, he could understand why she’d be brooding over it. 

“You don’t mean you’re not going? —The Agency said you couldn’t?” 

“No, that’s… This morning, I received…this.” 

Yukina pulled an oddly folded piece of stationery from her schoolbag. 

“What’s this? Some kind of letter…?” Kojou asked. 

The page was so white that it looked like glittering silver, but the writing on it was English in a very floral style. It didn’t seem to be written in code, but even so, Kojou had trouble reading the contents. 

“It says,” explained Yukina, “Lion King Agency Advisory: Snowdrift Wolf shall be sealed for four days beginning at midnight tomorrow. Ensure that you turn it in prior to that time—” 

“‘Snowdrift Wolf’… Isn’t that your spear? And ‘sealing’ it means…” 

Yukina’s tone was grave. “Yes, it means I am relieved of my duty as Watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor.” 

Her spear, granted the name of Snowdrift Wolf, was properly called Demon-Purging Assault Spear Type Seven, aka a Schneewaltzer, the Lion King Agency’s secret weapon. The spear, able to nullify any magical power and rend through any barrier, was deemed to be the ultimate anti-demonic weapon, powerful enough to destroy a vampiric primogenitor. When Yukina became the Watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor, she had been granted the right to slaughter Kojou at will. Snowdrift Wolf was the very symbol of that right. 

In other words, sealing the spear meant relieving Yukina of her duty as his keeper. But four days starting the next day—that was the same time frame as Saikai Academy’s middle school trip. 

“…So that means you’re on vacation,” Kojou muttered. “Lucky for you, huh?” 

Apparently, the people in the Lion King Agency thought it was a fine idea to arrange things so that Yukina could attend the field trip. 

Perhaps it was no more than a simple tactical decision; having infiltrated Saikai Academy while keeping her identity a secret, participating in the trip would keep her cover intact. Even so, the bottom line was that she’d be able to take time off and spend it with friends her own age—definitely a good deal from Yukina’s point of view. 

But for some reason, Yukina had an oddly sullen look as she glared sidelong at Kojou in displeasure. 

“Lucky…you say?” 

“Well, it’s a good thing, ain’t it? Anyway, it’s good you don’t have to watch me during it. Sticking close year-round would mean never getting a moment’s peace.” 

Kojou’s smile was quite bright as he spoke. 

It had been a little over two months since Yukina had entered his life. During that time, she had been at Kojou’s side throughout, watching him without a break. Surely taking time off once in a while and living it up with her classmates wouldn’t hurt anything. 

Of course, Kojou was also happy for the temporary reprieve. No matter how pretty a girl Yukina was, having a government-approved stalker walking around with a deadly weapon and watching him 24-7 was a major weight on his mind. 

But Kojou’s reaction brought even greater displeasure to Yukina’s face. 

“You seem quite pleased by this, senpai.” 

“…Eh?” 

“I had no idea you regarded not having me around as so enjoyable. Is that so… I’m a little surprised, to be honest.” 

After hearing Yukina vocalize her pain, Kojou rushed to excuse himself. “Er, no, it’s not that it’s enjoyable, I just think I can, you know, spread my wings a little bit more while you’re not around—” 

“That’s what worries me!” Yukina appeared to be mulling over the issue, lowering her eyes as if appealing to a higher power. “I mean, really, what will you do when I don’t have my eyes on you, senpai—?” 

“I won’t do anything!! Things’ll just go back to how they were before you came. Nothing’s gonna happen from you taking your eyes off me for three or four days, geez!!” 

Kojou had to object to being discussed as if he were some fiendish criminal. However, Yukina glared at him with narrowed eyes, very nearly pouting. 

“Just the other day, didn’t you end up drinking Yuuma’s and Sayaka’s blood in just the three or four hours you were out of my sight…?” 

Kojou went red-faced. “You’re gonna talk about that here?!” 

In the first place, a vampire’s vampiric urges were triggered by lust—in other words, sexual arousal. Thanks to Yukina’s mentioning it, he had vivid flashbacks as he recalled just what had taken place between him, Sayaka, and Yuuma that night. 

“That was an emergency, you know! Something that big doesn’t happen every day!” 

“…I suppose you’re right. It would be nice if nothing happened.” Yukina sighed, still a bit worried. “But will you really be all right, senpai? Nagisa won’t be with you either this time, will she? Are you going to wake up on time in the morning? Then there’s closing up at night and checking for fire hazards—” 

“Geez, what are you talking about? I can hold down the fort for a few days.” Kojou forced a reassuring smile, exasperated. “I’ll be fine. If the Lion King Agency says it’s okay to take a break, there’s no reason for you to worry ’bout me, Himeragi. No need to go overboard.” 

Kojou’s throwaway declaration was an effort to calm Yukina’s overactive imagination. 

Emotion vanished from Yukina’s eyes, which then turned icy. She ceaselessly echoed a phrase in her mouth, over and over: 

“…No reason, you say? Overboard, you say…? Is that so?” 

“Ah…er… Miss Himeragi…?” 

Unable to understand the cause of her anger, Kojou called out to Yukina, once more perplexed. 

Right around then, the monorail arrived at the terminal closest to school. 

3 

A scent tinged with fried butter wafted through the classroom. Sliced onions sizzled as they were added to the well-heated frying pan. 

This was a home-ec morning practicum, with the class divided into several teams. The menu called for Caesar salad, omelets with rice, and beef stew for a high-calorie, three-piece set. With a practiced hand, Kojou controlled the frying pan while pouring seasoning on top, causing Yaze to let out a whistle of admiration. “Whoa, that’s pretty good, Kojou.” 

Rin Tsukishima, the class representative, followed suit, sounding like she was praising a pet for doing a good trick. “Indeed. He’s quite good.” 

Dressed in an apron and munching on salad croutons, Asagi Aiba commented, “I guess all human beings have one thing they’re good at.” 

Without pausing his cooking, Kojou shouted back, “Oh, shut up, you guys! Don’t stare like it’s got nothin’ to do with you. Why do I have to make it all myself?!” 

The other three gazed enigmatically back at him. Their looks said, Why is he asking the obvious only now…? 

Yaze sighed with an exasperated shake of his head. “Hmph, stupid question, Kojou… I dunno about Tsukishima, but if Asagi and I were helping, it’d only mean more work for you.” 

“That ain’t a line you should say like you’re proud, y’know?” Kojou retorted in a low voice. 

You’d never know it from his appearance or his laid-back attitude, but Yaze was the son of a family running a conglomerate. Kojou could understand why Rin and Asagi had no cooking experience, being daughters of surprisingly upper-crust families. But there’s no way not helping’s better than helping, is there…? 

“So naive,” Yaze pontificated. “I mean, that cake Asagi made in fifth grade was a weapon of mass destruction that put fourteen boys in the hospital. Thankfully, I expected that, so I was able to escape unscathed. But…” 

“What, you’re gonna drag up that old story now…?!” Asagi squeaked, her face bright red. 

Judging from her demeanor, Yaze’s tragic tale was the gospel truth. Noticing the gazes of her classmates falling on her, Asagi hastily cleared her throat. “…I-I mean, don’t judge people on info from years before like that. I can cook as well as the average person now.” 

“Huh…” 

“What’s with that look of doubt?!” 

As Yaze’s expression projected a complete lack of trust in her story, Asagi grabbed the oil near her hand and splashed him with it. This was peperoncino oil, which Kojou was using for the secret ingredient of his dish. Bathed in the spicy oil from garlic and red pepper, it was the perfect ammo for Yaze to press his hands to his face and dramatically faint in agony. 

With a very mature expression, Rin coolly surveyed the two childhood friends as they took potshots at each other. 

“Well, it’s fine, isn’t it, Akatsuki? I think it’s wonderful for a boy to specialize in cooking. Don’t you agree, Asagi?” 

With the topic abruptly tossed onto her lap, Asagi’s voice became shrill. “Eh?! W-well, that’s certainly one theory… Th-though it’s just one popular view among many!” 

However, Kojou was too involved in his cooking to notice her awkward response. 

“…Whether it’s cool or uncool, there’s no way I’m gonna get this done on time on my own. At least set the dishes, geez!!” he snapped. 

Rin giggled and smiled as she added, “Come to think of it, Akatsuki’s little sister is a great cook.” 

Ah, yeah I guess, Kojou haltingly agreed. 

Nagisa’s cooking skill was definitely up there by middle-schooler standards. That was a result of their mother being absent from home so much, which forced her to do the housework. Kojou could cook half-decently himself, but he and Nagisa weren’t in the same league. 

“That’s ’cause she’s had to do lots of cooking lately. Besides, frozen pizza’s the only thing our mom can cook.” 

“If I married you, I might be able to enjoy that little sister’s cooking for the rest of my life,” Rin said. “A pleasant thought…” 

Kojou, unable to comprehend, sighed and set about refuting her. “…Er, no, that doesn’t make any sense.” 

Figures, thought Yaze as he wiped his oil-drenched face, silently voicing agreement with Kojou. “I mean, Nagisa’s gonna get married at some point, too.” 

Kojou’s voice squeaked. “Married…?!” He fought to remain calm, but he was unable to completely hide his unease. “There’s no way Nagisa would… Th-there’s no one who’d be marrying—hot!” 

Asagi, watching Kojou completely lose his cool with obvious scorn, murmured, “Whoa… He took it seriously, gross!” 

She didn’t actually say, Damn him and his sister complex, but her frosty glare conveyed it directly to his mind, loud and clear. 

“Sh-shaddup! It’s only ’cause you guys said all that stuff!” 

In contrast to Kojou looking ready to flee, Rin serenely inquired, “Isn’t the third year middle school field trip just about to begin? What will you do for food in the meantime?” 

Kojou wiped the sweat off his brow. “Oh, yeah, that. Er… I didn’t think of anything in particular, but I’ll just buy something good and eat that. It’s hard to cook for one person, y’know.” 

“Hmm…” Rin narrowed her eyes, looking even more delighted as she looked up at Asagi, her chin in her palms. “It’s the perfect opportunity, Asagi. How about you make something for him?” 

This time it was Asagi’s voice that squeaked. “Wh-what?!” 

Kojou was aghast at how Rin, who was normally chilly and unsociable if anything, seemed vibrant and full of life as she twisted the knife into Asagi. 

“Wh-why do I have to—?!” 

“You’re good at cooking now, aren’t you, Asagi? Food doesn’t taste as good when you eat it alone, so I was thinking you could have dinner with Akatsuki, just the two of you—” 

“J-just the two of us…?” 

Asagi glanced toward Kojou as if prodding him for a reaction. However, Kojou made none. His entire nervous system was devoted to skimming scum from the top of his beef stew. 

“I’ll do no such thing…!” Asagi continued. “N-not that I’d mind eating out somewhere together…” 

Kojou let his classmate’s sullen words roll right over him. “Mm, sure.” 

For whatever reason, Rin and Yaze met each other’s eyes. They’re hopeless, they sighed together. 

After a brief pause, Yaze asked something else to restore the mood. “Hey, Kojou, is that middle school transfer student gonna go on the field trip, too?” 

By his standards, he had an oddly serious expression on his face. Kojou thought that was rather suspicious as he looked up from the stew. 

“Himeragi said she was gonna, but… What of it?” 

Yaze immediately returned to his usual frivolous tone as he ran a hand through his spiky, combed-back hair. 

“Ahh… Nah, I was just a little jealous. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appreciate her in street clothes, her sleeping face, getting into the shower…” 

Asagi, listening to the boys’ chatter, sullenly grumbled, “You’re both complete morons.” 

“Hey, I didn’t say anything!” Kojou complained aloud as he cracked an egg. He bore an unusually serious expression as he prepared to soft-boil the egg for the omelet rice. 

Watching Kojou from the side, Asagi began to nibble on some chopped-up lettuce. She murmured, nearly inaudible, “I see… She’s gonna be gone, too… I see…” 

Shortly after, Kojou’s cell phone signaled the arrival of a text. 

4 

Soaking up the rays of the setting sun, Nagisa Akatsuki raised her voice in bewitching admiration. 

“Ahh… Yummy…” 

She sat at the outdoor table of a café terrace in a commercial district’s shopping mall, licking a giant, three-flavored ice cream cone. It was an extravagance almost beyond description, weighed down with so many toppings that it barely held its shape. 

Kojou and Yukina sat at the same table with her, along with a girl who had silver hair and pale blue eyes. She had a beautiful Northern European face far removed from Japanese norms, with a gentleness that made her seem reminiscent of an angel. This was Kanon Kanase, “the Saint of Middle School.” 

Nagisa drowned herself in ice cream like a child would. “Yeah, Lulu’s ice cream is just the best. The taste is luxurious and just melts in your mouth.” 

Though Kojou’s little sister was fond of talking to begin with, she was particularly chatty during mealtime. 

What are you, a food critic? Kojou grumbled internally, his chin in his palm. His face was visibly dismayed. 

“Geez… I was wondering what this ‘big favor’ was, but it’s nothing but being your mule. Just what do you think your seniors are here for?” he continued. 

“Well, that’s why I’m treating you to ice cream, isn’t it? You can at least come shopping when it’s your cute little sister asking. We can’t take our time at the shops if we’re lugging all that around, can we?” 

As Nagisa spoke, she pointed to the large bags sitting at Kojou’s feet. There were three people’s worth of street clothes and bags. It was enough luggage that you’d think she was moving out. 

“If you needed a travel bag, we’ve got one at home.” Kojou pointed at the largest shopping bag as he spoke. It was luggage Nagisa had bought on impulse, handing over an extravagant sum at the counter. 

However, Nagisa grimaced, nose scrunching. “You mean the sports bag you used before? No way. I mean, that thing stinks from all the jerseys in the boys’ locker room.” 

“Oh, come on, it doesn’t stink that much!” Kojou sullenly replied. 

Yukina, unable to contain herself any longer as the siblings quarreled, let out a small chuckle. 

Nagisa puffed up her cheeks in an emphatic pout. “You just complain too much, Kojou. And in front of these girls, too! A lot of guys would get sex changes if it meant being able to go out with Yukina and Kanon.” 

Kojou clutched his head as he groaned. “I think that’s overstating it a little… Middle school guys aren’t that messed up, right…?” 

He thought she had to be joking, but that he couldn’t completely dismiss it terrified him. That was how off the charts Yukina’s and Kanon’s looks were, beautiful enough that they were actually very hard to approach, but— 

Noticing that Kanon was gazing into space rather than joining the conversation, Kojou asked, “What is it, Kanase? You’re spacing out there.” 

Kanon blushed a little. She shook her head, swaying her seemingly transparent silver hair. “I’m sorry, the tasty ice cream just made me so happy.” 

Her smile and delight in such an ordinary thing completely captivated Kojou. 

Born as an illegitimate child of the former King of Aldegia, she had no conscious appreciation of the tremendous spiritual power exclusive to the royal line that she’d inherited. Lacking any memory of either parent, she had been raised since infancy as an orphan at an abbey. But she’d lost that home due to some incident, and her adoptive father modified her into the monster known as Faux-Angel—Kanon’s past was a nigh-unbearable series of painful experiences. 

Yet she was able to smile with such happiness in spite of it all. Her gentle expression was truly worthy of what they called her: a Saint. 

His face red and eyes turned away, Kojou offered the remaining ice cream scoop in his cup. 

“You can have this, too, if you want…” 

There was just too much of Lulu’s ice cream that Nagisa loved for Kojou’s stomach to handle. 

Kanon’s eyes seemed to twinkle in delight. 

“I’ll have one bite, then… Actually, I’ve become rather fond of strawberry.” 

“Good to hear.” 

Seeing Kanon as happy as a puppy, Kojou sighed with relief and patted his chest, when suddenly— 

“Ah, Akatsuki, you have ice cream on your face.” 

“Eh?” 

As Kanon spoke, she wiped Kojou’s lips with a napkin. Kojou, frozen in surprise, felt several dagger-like stares from nearby. Nagisa and Yukina were indeed glaring at him, though he had no idea why. 

“Err… Did you girls…want to have some strawberry, too?” 

“That is not it.” 

“Idiot!” 

Both girls gave him frigid responses. Kojou grimaced without any clue as to what was going on. 

Nagisa, giving in to her anger, wolfed down her remaining ice cream. 

“Oh yeah, there! We’re going in that store!” 

As Kojou and Yukina spotted the store Nagisa was pointing out, they exclaimed at virtually the same time: 

“Eh?!” 

The display window was adorned with mannequins wearing gorgeous lingerie. It looked like an underwear store, any way you sliced it. 

What kind of grudge do they have against me? Kojou frowned, but the looks of interest coming over Yukina’s and Kanon’s faces showed they were intrigued. Apparently it wasn’t a total turnoff to the group. 

“And hey, there’s a sale, too. I mean, we’d better have the right underwear for the field trip, don’t you think?” 

“Hey, I think that one’ll look good on you, Yukina!” Nagisa announced. “You can let me pick yours, too, Kanon. I’ll do awesome coordinating. Oh, and Kojou, you stay put outside!” 

“I wouldn’t go in if you begged me to!!” 

Nagisa grabbed the hesitating girls and pulled them into the underwear store. 

Watching the girls’ backs as they left, Kojou sighed, dead tired. 

He always felt worn out from shopping with Nagisa, but she seemed even higher strung than usual. No doubt she was looking forward to the field trip just that much. Because, while he did find it hard to keep up with her, he knew Nagisa had another reason for being excited: Four years earlier, demons had gravely wounded her in an incident, resulting in prolonged hospitalization. This was her first trip abroad since her discharge—of course she was dancing on a cloud. 

Hope nothing bad happens with her all full of herself like that, Kojou brooded. When he lifted his head, he noticed an unfamiliar man approaching. 

He was wearing a pure white jacket; his tie and hat bore a red-and-white checkered pattern. His left hand was gripping a silver cane. By external appearance, he seemed about twenty years old, give or take, but he looked like he could be considerably older—or younger—than that. 

Either way, the figure gave off the air of a stage magician. In fact, he stopped right in front of Kojou and tipped his hat by way of greeting. 

“G’day.” 

Kojou stood up and returned the greeting. “Same to you.” 

On reflex, he’d fallen back into his old athletic club habit of always politely returning a greeting. Perhaps the man found Kojou’s reaction unexpected, since he narrowed his eyes but smiled in delight. 

His eyes were frightfully red, like the color of fresh blood— 

“That silver-haired girl just now. Pretty, isn’t she?” 

“Well, yeah.” 

Though the man’s suspiciously chummy attitude put Kojou on guard, he promptly agreed. He had no reason to say no. 

“You seem to get along with her very well… She wouldn’t be your lover, by any chance?” 

A misunderstanding would have been troublesome, so Kojou replied honestly. “No, just a junior at school. She’s my little sister’s friend.” 

Kojou kept himself from saying any more than that. He was starting to sense a malevolent aura around this man. It was…the scent of blood. 

“So who are you, anyway? You don’t look like you’re recruiting for the circus, so…?” 

“Me? I am One Who Seeks the Truth.” 

Kojou was momentarily at a loss. “…Huh?” 

Abruptly, something from the man’s right arm whipped out like a snake. 

It was glittering metal along its length, a viscous steel-colored liquid. It snaked around Kojou’s arm and began to invade Kojou’s very flesh. It felt like his skin was dissolving, giving him profound malaise, and yet, an oddly pleasant sensation— 

But only a single layer of Kojou’s skin had been dissolved when the fluid suddenly seemed to boil and snap back. It exploded and dissipated, unable to withstand Kojou’s vast magical energy, much like being electrocuted after grabbing a live wire. 

Kojou glared at his company, scowling as the strange sensation stuck to his flesh. 

“What the hell was that?!” 

Kojou seriously didn’t want to imagine what would’ve happened to him if he’d been an ordinary human being and that liquid had completely corroded his body; he was certain it would’ve been a disaster. 

The man looked at his own right arm, scrutinizing it. 

“Hmmm. You managed to stop it. I had an odd feeling about you earlier, but… You’re not human, are you? An unregistered demon… A vampire, yes? It would seem you’re not some kind of bodyguard dispatched by the Aldegian royal family, though. I wanted to kill you quietly without attracting attention, but—oh well!” 

“Uh—?!” 

The man raised his right arm once more. 

The silver liquid gushed from his fingertips. It transformed into a slender, sharp blade, slicing horizontally at Kojou with incredible force. Even with his vampiric reaction speed, Kojou couldn’t completely track the attack. 

As he hit the dirt, a lamppost behind him was cut cleanly in half. 

This was no mere liquid. It was liquid metal, with a weight comparable to quicksilver, re-formed into a high-density blade. Its own weight and centrifugal force made for a powerful weapon. 

Kojou desperately evaded the man’s second attack as he countered, voice hard, “Wait… You’re here to kidnap Kanase…?!” 

The assailant knew Kanon’s relationship to the Aldegian royal family. The odds of him trying to kidnap her for ransom or use her as a political pawn were high. The point of invading Kojou’s flesh was simply to force him out of the way, so that the guy could approach Kanon without suspicion. 

However, the man only laughed, plainly mocking the suggestion. 

“Kidnap? You mean drag her off somewhere…? For a vampire with so much magical power, you sure focus on the most banal things! That girl’s not going anywhere. I just thought she’d make a good offering.” 

“Offering…?!” 

“What, you didn’t know?” 

The man spat on the ground, as if the ignorance offended him. 

“Sounds like you don’t know about the incident at Adelard’s Abbey five years ago, either.” 

Fleeing the attacks, Kojou came to hide in the shadow of the building. “What’re you talking about?!” he shouted back, irritated. 

The offensive power of the man’s steel blade was a menace, but he was no match for Kojou. If Kojou summoned a Beast Vassal, he could no doubt blow the guy away in an instant. 

Beast Vassals were summoned beasts that dwelled in vampires’ very own blood; such was their incredible might, even more so for the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor, the World’s Mightiest Vampire. 

But that was precisely why Kojou couldn’t use them: He didn’t know what kind of damage would be done, unleashing their power in the middle of a city like this. One wrong move and Nagisa and the others, still nearby, could be caught in the crossfire. 

Fortunately, the guests and staff at the terrace café had run for the hills as soon as the man had attacked—they were residents in a Demon Sanctuary. They were used to stuff like this. 

Though he was grateful they hadn’t attracted onlookers, Kojou had no doubt someone would call the authorities; the Island Guard would be on them in no time. He, an unregistered vampire, had no desire to tangle with the guardsmen… Not that he could actually do anything about it. Currently unable to launch a proper counterattack, all Kojou could do was sweat and wait for the cavalry to arrive. 

“It’s nothing you need concern yourself with. You’ll die before knowing the truth!” 

“Ugh—?!” 

The steel blade lashed out, slicing apart a concrete wall. The fragments that fell blocked Kojou’s avenue of escape. 

He’d blundered in hiding behind a building. Kojou was now trapped in a narrow alley, with no way to evade the next attack. 

The man’s sword swung down at Kojou’s head with the force of a guillotine— 

—When suddenly the blade of a long spear, twinkling silver, intercepted. Tracing a beautiful arc, silver cut through steel like it was butter, momentarily saving Kojou from peril. 

“Himeragi—?!” Kojou shouted. 

She, the Watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor, had realized he was in danger and rushed out of the store. 

Yukina landed on the ground with her skirt aflutter. She adopted a combative stance, never averting her gaze from the mysterious assailant. 

“Are you all right, senpai?” she asked. 

Kojou exhaled weakly, looking drained. “Yeah, thanks. Saved my butt.” 

Without a word, the man in the red-and-white checkered outfit glared at his new adversary. His right arm had lost everything past its wrist, and the liquid blade Yukina had severed now fused with his own flesh. 

“Senpai… Who is that?” 

“Who knows,” Kojou replied with a grunt. “He said he’s ‘the One Who Seeks the Truth.’” 

Kojou thought it was a pretty stupid-sounding title, but hey, that was what the guy had called himself. 

He thought Yukina would be upset, but instead, she readily accepted it. “A Seeker. I see…” 

That she had taken it seriously made Kojou all the more nervous. He didn’t know about any major jobs with that description, but— 

Speaking languidly, the man squatted down. “A Schneewaltzer… Come to mention it, there was a rumor the Lion King Agency had sent a Sword Shaman to monitor the Fourth Primogenitor, wasn’t there?” 

The severed lamppost had rolled to a stop right at his feet. It was a steel post about three or four meters in length and must have been heavy. Yet the instant the man’s right arm touched it, the post melted and collapsed. 

Before their eyes, its surface transformed into something like steel-colored blood. Then, as Kojou and Yukina watched, dumbfounded, the man’s arm absorbed it. 

“What the…?! His arm’s…!” 

Before their eyes, his right hand, severed only moments before, was restored. The man had reclaimed his lost body part by fusing with the metal post. 

“Just as I thought,” Yukina whispered, aghast. “An alchemist—!” 

Kojou’s breath hitched. Like any other Demon Sanctuary resident, Kojou of course knew that alchemists existed. They controlled the composition of all kinds of matter to produce solid gold. They were also considered blasphemers against God, those who sought the answer to the riddle of eternal life—and yet this one had immediately exposed his identity to Kojou. 

“Well,” said the alchemist, “even my odds are bad against the Fourth Primogenitor and a Sword Shaman. I suppose it’s best to postpone eliminating Kanon Kanase till later…” 

With this, he turned his back on the pair. It seemed he intended to flee. 

“Hey! Hold it right there, Checkered Man—!” 

“No, senpai! Don’t—!” 

Kojou rushed him in pursuit. It was too dangerous to let the man flee when they still had no idea who he really was. 

“Whoa?!” 

A mass of metal fell right before Kojou’s eyes. 

The alchemist had transformed one of the giant shade trees planted along the street into solid metal. Its countless branches became sharp thorns; every leaf turned into a blade. There was no way Kojou could ram into it and escape unscathed. He hit the dirt and rolled, barely managing to avoid being crushed underneath. 

When Kojou, now disheveled, rose to his feet, the alchemist was nowhere to be seen. 

“Crap,” he grumbled, kicking the trunk of the steel tree that now obstructed his path. “What the hell is with that guy…?!” 

Pain jolted through his foot from kicking a chunk of metal. 

It appeared the alchemist could transform full-grown trees into steel with only a touch—though, no, surely it was well beyond just trees. He could probably freely manipulate the composition of any piece of solid matter. 

Such a power would be absolutely heinous in the wrong hands. 

The liquid-metal blade had made a frightening enough weapon, but that transmutation spell was a lot more dangerous. If Kojou’s own flesh and blood were turned into metal, there was no guarantee even he, an immortal and immutable vampire, could be revived. If the alchemist had used transmutation on him from the start, Kojou could have died the moment they met. 

Lowering her spear, Yukina asked, “…That alchemist was after Kanase, wasn’t he?” 

Kojou nodded, grimacing. “He said somethin’ about the incident five years ago at the convent, but he didn’t elaborate.” 

“The convent…” 

Tales of Kanon, the convent, and five years before flooded Kojou’s mind at the word. It was clear this was the lead that would bring them closer to an answer. 

Five years earlier, the abbey where Kanon Kanase lived suffered a large number of casualties and shut down—perhaps the alchemist’s reason for approaching Kanon was directly related to that. 

Put another way, the incident five years ago was their only lead as to who he really was. 

Kojou slumped against a nearby wall and turned to face Yukina. “Anyway, we’ll worry about that later… Thanks, Yukina. You really helped there.” 

The area around the terrace café was a fine mess. Numerous decorative trees littered the ground; several storefronts were half-wrecked. It’d probably cost hundreds of millions of yen to fix. But they were fortunate that the destruction had been limited to that. 

If Yukina hadn’t arrived and the alchemist’s attack had managed to kill Kojou, his Beast Vassals would have probably run amok and turned the surrounding area to ash. In the worst case, Itogami Island itself could have been done for. 

Yukina, who of course understood all that, sighed softly in exhaustion. “I just did what is expected of me, senpai. I am your watcher, after all.” 

“Yeah, but still, thanks.” 

At Kojou’s honest gratitude, Yukina hid her blushing face. “It’s fine…” 

Then Kojou realized something extremely important. His heart pounded faster, and sweat broke out over his entire body. 

The situation was bad—very bad. 

“R-right, so, um, Himeragi, what about Nagisa and Kanase…?” 

“They’re all right. Both went into changing rooms. If I hurry back, I don’t think they’ll even notice.” 

“Changing rooms… So you were in one, too…?” 

“No, I was simply having the staff measure my sizes, so I hadn’t gone in y—” 

As Yukina was about to say yet, she gasped when she looked down at her own chest. Her school uniform shirt was still completely unbuttoned. 

She’d no doubt flown right out of the underwear store in great haste when she’d sensed that Kojou was in combat. Her dazzlingly pale skin was a perfect match for her completely open shirt, visibly revealing part of her bra. 

Letting go of an inaudible shout, Yukina squatted down on the spot. “Heeee?!” 

She carefully pulled in her collar as she glared at Kojou resentfully. 

“S-senpai…how long ago did you notice?!” 

“N-notice what…?” 

Kojou’s reply was as monotone as a robot’s. His instincts screamed that the only way he could overcome this crisis was to pretend he hadn’t seen a thing. 

“Don’t tell me that ‘thanks’ from earlier was—” 

“N-no! It’s not like I was thanking you for showing me something nice—!” 

“It’s fine. I understand. You’re just filth.” 

“No, you don’t get it! You’re not getting any of it—!” 

Kojou desperately tried to plead his innocence, but Yukina, her cheeks puffed up, wouldn’t even look him in the eye. Even as she felt Kojou’s aura fluster behind her, Yukina murmured to herself in a tiny voice: 

“This is why taking my eyes off you gives me anxiety! Seriously…!” 

5 

The next morning— 

Kojou, arriving at school earlier than usual, made a beeline for the staff building. More precisely, he was headed to the highest floor, to the office of Natsuki Minamiya. 

Incidentally, Yukina wasn’t with him because she’d refused to speak to him since the open blouse incident the day before. But that was all the better as far as Kojou was concerned: Yukina was on vacation starting today. He wanted her to go on the field trip with as few lingering concerns as possible. 

Kojou opened the thick wooden door and peered into Natsuki’s room. “Sorry, Natsuki. There’s a little something I wanted to ask you—” 

The next moment, Kojou stopped dead in his tracks and reflexively shielded his head. Oh, man! 

Natsuki Minamiya, age twenty-six and Saikai Academy’s English teacher, had such a small figure that she looked like a little girl, despite which—no, because of which—she detested how the students treated her. They called her Natsuki instead of Ms. Minamiya. She was a violent teacher constantly dishing out corporal punishment to the students who disrespected her, so it was only natural for Kojou to protect himself after the slipup. 

For some reason, however, the day seemed to mock Kojou for his prudence: No matter how long he waited, the expected attack never came. Instead, what he heard from inside the room was a flat, highly composed voice: 

“Good morning, Fourth Primogenitor.” 

“…Astarte?” 

Dressed in a maid outfit, the slender girl was standing near a window with a billowing curtain. As always, her skin looked almost transparent. Her large eyes were faintly blue, and her face was perfectly symmetrical. To Kojou, she seemed less like a living creature and more like a work of art. This was Astarte—a homunculus. 

In the past, she had been created by a Lotharingian Armed Apostle and employed by him as a weapon, but she was now working at Saikai Academy under Natsuki’s guardianship. Wearing a maid outfit in spite of being on staff was purely a matter of Natsuki’s personal tastes. 

Kojou looked around the room as he asked, “Huh, it’s just you here? Where’s Natsuki?” 

Her office was extravagant, evident by a thick, luxurious carpet decorating the floor. However, there was no sight of its owner sitting on her beloved antique chair. 

“Master is absent. Earlier, she left at the request of the police.” 

“The police…?” 

Astarte’s reply gave Kojou an ominous feeling. 

The other hat Natsuki wore was a federal Attack Mage. The Demon Sanctuary’s educational institutions were required by law to employ a certain percentage of Attack Mage–qualified staff for the protection of the students. 

However, Natsuki was also known as the Witch of the Void, and on top of that, a combat instructor for the Island Guard and one of Itogami Island’s most powerful people. 

Kojou worried about the timing of police suddenly calling someone of Natsuki’s level. He couldn’t shake the feeling it had something to do with the ruckus at the terrace café the day before. 

As Astarte watched Kojou go pale, she asked, “Are you concerned about something, Fourth Primogenitor?” 

Kojou shook his head. “It’s not really a concern, I just wanted to talk to her a bit. Private stuff.” 

“Understood. I would be happy to converse with you if you like.” 

“Ah… Are you? Well, there is something I kinda wanna know, but—” 

“The answer is, ‘Your romantic prospects are very strong this week. You would be wise to make a show of bringing the girl in your class home with you and make a move on her while the little watcher is away.’” 

The homunculus began giving him strange advice with a serious look when Kojou forcefully stopped her: “Who said to dish out romance advice?!” 

Astarte continued to gaze at Kojou with emotionless eyes. “I believe this is the sort of guidance sought by many schoolboys in the springtime of their youth?” 

“Er, well, maybe that’s what’s on a lot of guys’ minds, but um—how’d this turn into instigating a felony?!” 

“Master believes most who seek the counsel of others already have their answer. Therefore, the person offering guidance need only provide a gentle nudge toward what the asker already wants to do.” 

“Well, I guess even Natsuki can say something civilized once in a while, but… Wait, how’d you conclude I wanna make moves on Asagi here?!” 

“Meaning, that you would prefer to do so to another girl?” 

Kojou was breathing heavily as he clutched his head. “That part ain’t the problem here!!” 

That Astarte didn’t engage in sarcasm or jokes, but rather was dead serious 24-7, made her very hard to deal with. 

“At any rate, please have some tea,” she said. 

Astarte brought a cup over from the wet bar’s cabinet. Using a teapot, she poured black tea that had just finished brewing, making a rich, perfumed scent float up around them. 

Kojou brought the cup to his lips. “This is good stuff,” he stated in surprise. 

Natsuki, notoriously picky about her black tea, entrusted Astarte with making hers, and it was shockingly tasty. Kojou wasn’t a connoisseur, but this was in a different dimension than any other he’d previously tasted. 

Even as she saw Kojou so moved, Astarte’s expression remained largely neutral. However, he felt like the girl’s blue eyes had a bit of an extra twinkle to them. 

Having calmed down from drinking the tea, Kojou finally switched to what he actually wanted to talk about. 

“Hey, Astarte… Homunculi are made with alchemy, right?” 

Astarte remained expressionless as she nodded. “Affirmative. In modern times, homunculi creation is heavily influenced by biotechnology and medical science, but the basic theory is directly derived from alchemy nonetheless.” 

Kojou looked up at her as he asked, “Do you know what alchemists are after, then?” 

Astarte, a product of alchemy herself, had a fundamental grasp of the science imprinted on her since before she’d even been born. Kojou thought he had a good chance of finding a clue from her—a clue about the alchemist in the checkered cap. 

“Practitioners of alchemy operate on many different levels, but the ultimate goal of alchemy is to breach human limits and become closer to ‘God.’” 

Astarte narrowed her eyes, as if searching through old memories, even though her reply was casual. 

“God? It’s not to turn iron and lead to gold?” 

“Transmutation is nothing more than a side effect of alchemists’ moving closer to ‘God,’ for the guiding principle of alchemy is to transform all that is imperfect into a perfect existence.” 

Kojou recalled how the red-and-white alchemist had instantaneously remade trees into solid steel. “I see… If a man can turn into a god, turning lead to gold is child’s play, huh?” 

Following alchemist logic, a living tree that would eventually perish must have seemed a less perfect being than a nigh-indestructible piece of metal. 

“But how does all that stuff turn you into a deity…?” 

“I cannot answer, for ‘God’ is a word with a vague definition. However, the past includes two examples of having achieved nearly eternal life while retaining a body of flesh and blood.” 

The ease with which Astarte replied surprised Kojou. “‘Examples’?” 

“You are one such example, Kojou Akatsuki. You were born as a human, yet you gained the vampiric powers of the Fourth Primogenitor, although that does put you on the opposite end of the spectrum from ‘God’—” 

Kojou slumped his shoulders. “Well, that makes me sound like a dismal failure,” he muttered resentfully. 

Certainly, vampires were immortal and un-aging, but the source of that power was a “negative” life force diametrically opposed to the blessings of God, making them unable to die and go to Heaven, be reincarnated, or find spiritual peace. It was like a disease that just made them keep on living. Even if they lived for thousands of years, it was utterly impossible for a vampire to evolve into a deity of light. If that was the goal, surely they were nothing more than incomplete failures. 

“So what’s the other example?” Kojou asked. 

“Wiseman’s Blood.” 

Kojou had never heard of it before. “What the heck is that?” 

Astarte slowly shook her head. “Details are unclear. However, Nina Adelard is said to have used the power of the Wiseman’s Blood, her own creation, to gain an immutable body with infinite magical power.” 

Kojou’s breath caught. 

“Adelard…?!” 

In the back of his mind, he recalled that the alchemist had spoken this name the day before. Adelard’s Abbey, where the incident had happened five years before—that was what he had said. 

“The Great Alchemist of Yore. She is a person of legend. If she was still alive, she would be over two hundred and seventy years old by now, but…” 

Astarte sank into silence. Apparently, that was all the knowledge that she’d been imprinted with. But Kojou had found his desperately sought clue. 

The bell rang for classes to begin. However, Kojou remained silent, not moving a muscle. His head was all a jumble. He needed time to put the information in order. 

“Here, have some tea.” 

Astarte refilled Kojou’s cup. The homunculus seated across from him really did seem to be enjoying herself a little—just a little—more than usual. 

6 

Asagi’s mouth was stuffed full of pasta when she inclined her head a little and asked, “Halelaid Halley…?” 

She was in the school cafeteria during lunch break. With hungry students thronging all around them, she and Kojou were sitting side by side at a narrow table. 

“Ah… Come to think of it, it might’ve been called that. Isn’t that the haunted house in the back of the park?” 

Kojou kept his voice low as he asked, “What’s a convent doing, being named after an alchemist?” 

So the abbey Kanon Kanase had lived at really had been named for a great alchemist of ages past. An alchemist and a convent—it didn’t sit right with him at all. 

But Asagi seemed to be paying it no special heed. 

“Maybe that alchemist founded it? Or maybe it was the name of the abbess…?” 

“Well, I mean, ain’t it weird for an alchemist to found a convent to begin with?” 

“Not at all. Alchemists are strongly influenced by pagan magic, and a lot of spells get banned for being too dangerous. So many make heavy donations to kings and churches to avoid getting persecuted.” 

Didn’t you read that in middle school history class?! she added in silent shock, but Kojou did not reply. He had a vague memory of having heard something like that; apparently it was beginner-level knowledge that was part of a Demon Sanctuary’s core curriculum. 

“Guess money really does make the world go round…” 

“Pretty much. Actually, royals and church officials hard up for money recruit alchemists themselves. It happens quite a bit.” 

As Asagi said this, she reached toward a second plate with pasta piled on top. For such a slim girl, she was quite a glutton. Two servings of pasta were practically starvation rations by her standards. Sitting next to her, Kojou felt like he’d get full just from watching. 

“There was a big incident at the place way back, right? You don’t know what caused it?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I can’t remember that much. I mean, I was in elementary school then—they said it was dangerous, so I didn’t get too close to it.” 

“Yeah… It’s five years ago after all…” Kojou slumped his shoulders, visibly deflated. 

Five years ago, Kojou was in grade school and hadn’t even arrived on Itogami Island yet. Not many of his classmates would have even known about it at the time. Kojou had gotten his hopes up a bit for Asagi, who had lived her whole life in the Demon Sanctuary, but it looked like things wouldn’t be that easy. 

“Ah?” 

Asagi, fussing with her smartphone while eating one-handed, made a noise as she glared sullenly at the display. She was trying to look into the incident, but apparently it wasn’t going well. 

“What?” 

“My search isn’t showing any results… The data’s been erased?” 

“It’s an old incident, so maybe there’s just no data for it?” 

Asagi waved away the thought. “These are the Gigafloat Management Corporation’s archives. It records everything down to how many steamed meat buns were bought at convenience stores on the island on any given day.” 

Kojou scratched his face, finding those words downright eerie. “Well, that kinda sucks. It’s like we’re being watched.” 

“What’s the big deal?” That’s an information society for you, her look said. 

“But then why is only this data missing?” 

“Someone deleted it on purpose, I’m sure. If I checked the logs at the Gigafloat Management Corporation, I might find out who… But it might be best not to stick my nose in that far. Feels kinda dangerous.” 

“Meaning, the Gigafloat Management Corporation might be the one pulling the strings here…?” 

“Or it could be an even more dangerous group.” 

That said, Asagi cut the power to her smartphone. 

Only a few people close to her knew, but Asagi’s specialty was hacking. She possessed a genius level of skill to the point that the Gigafloat Management Corporation’s Department of Security paid especially high fees for her services. If Asagi said it was bad, no doubt it really was. 

First the red-and-white alchemist from the day before, then the Management Corp’s data revision—apparently, the incident at Adelard Abbey hid greater secrets behind it than he had expected. 

Asagi pursed her lips as she voiced her complaints. “So why’d you call me over to talk about an incident several years ago, anyway? Didn’t you have anything else to ask about? Like, ah, plans for tomorrow maybe—” 

“Ah…,” Kojou murmured as an afterthought. “Sorry, Asagi. Something’s come up. Gotta go for a bit.” 

Dumbfounded, she watched Kojou stand up with his tray. 

“Sorry, could you make up a good excuse for me missing afternoon classes?” 

“Kojou, just a…! Hey, you, wait up!!” 

Asagi wolfed down the remaining pasta on her plate and got on her feet. She caught up to Kojou before he reached the shoe locker at the entrance, with strides a gold medalist sprinter would be proud of. 

“What are you followin’ me for?!” he hissed. 

“What about you, what do you think you’re leaving school for?!” 

Asagi pressed the point with a bloodcurdling glare. Kojou averted his eyes as he tried to find the words. 

“I’m just going to the ruins of the abbey. There’s something on my mind so I’m just gonna check it out.” 

Kojou rapid-fired his statement and immediately headed outside the campus building. 

However, Asagi put on her shoes and followed right behind him. “What do you mean, something on your mind?” 

“Er, well, um…cats.” 

“Huh? Cats?” 

Asagi’s mood worsened at this non sequitur. Now that she was having a hissy fit, it was no longer possible to persuade her. Kojou had no doubt she’d keep her eyes on him until his objectives were complete, even if it killed her. 

Well that’s not so bad, Kojou thought. 

Kojou had two objectives at the abbey. The first was to check out the scene of the incident. After all, even if five years had passed, he still might be able to find some sort of clue. 

Cats, however, were his other objective. 

In the past, Kanon had cared for abandoned kittens at the ruined abbey. At the time, Kojou and Nagisa had helped find new homes for all of them. 

However, it had been several weeks since then. Given Kanon’s personality, there was no guarantee she hadn’t picked up more strays. That would be bad. After all, there was that alchemist, too. 

If the red-and-white alchemist knew Kanon was going in and out of the ruined abbey again, he’d no doubt merrily attack her. Kojou wanted to prevent that at all costs—though at the moment he could only see whether any cats were there. If there were, he’d just have to take them somewhere other than the ruins. 

One way or another, it was a low-risk operation. Asagi being in tow shouldn’t cause a problem. With such thoughts on his mind, Kojou climbed a hill with a splendid view, when— 

“Yeowch?!” 

—An impact suddenly assailed Kojou’s flank and sent his body flying. A moment later, a dull thud reverberated inside his recoiling skull. 

It was an invisible impact that had come without any warning whatsoever, as if someone had sent a blunt object through space to smash against him. 

Asagi hastily rushed to his side as he collapsed. 

“K-Kojou?!” 

She hadn’t noticed the mysterious attack at all. She must have thought Kojou, walking normally, had merely tripped on some kind of vegetation. 

“Stay back!” hissed Kojou, trying to keep Asagi at a distance. But his face froze over when he noticed a silhouette at the very edge of his vision. 

“Asagi—!” 

With Kojou suddenly pulling her by the hand, Asagi completely lost her balance. 

“Eh?! Ehh?!” 

Kojou held her down, her back against the ground, and put a hand over her mouth. As Asagi squirmed and tried to speak, Kojou roughly whispered into her ear, “Be quiet and don’t move!” 

“W-we can’t… Not in a place like…” 

Asagi’s words and movements offered little resistance. Her eyes were faintly tearful as she looked up at Kojou with tenderness. 

However, Kojou didn’t pay even the slightest attention to her. 

Bewildered by his lack of response, Asagi glared and grumbled, “……Kojou?” 

“What’s with those guys?” 

“Eh?” 

The young woman slowly turned her head and followed Kojou’s gaze. 

It was a small, verdant, tree-filled park practically on Saikai Academy’s doorstep. She could see a small gray building there. That was the abbey Kojou and Asagi had been heading to. 

And she could see men with guns and body armor surrounding the place. Judging from their equipment and their situational awareness, they were clearly well-trained combat personnel. 

As the two students watched in bewilderment, they heard a quiet voice from behind say, “…Guardians from the Island Guard.” 

The voice had a slight lisp, an oddly charismatic tone, and a mysteriously strong presence. When Kojou turned around, his eyes beheld the sight of a woman wearing an extravagant dress accessorized with a frilly parasol. 

“N-Natsuki?!” 

As Kojou ran his mouth, Natsuki Minamiya thrust her fan straight into his forehead. It didn’t look like a very powerful attack, but Kojou made a guoah sound, groaning as his head snapped back. 

Natsuki spoke with an air of sarcasm: “You have a lot of guts, Kojou Akatsuki, playing hooky and making moves on a classmate in a place like this. I thought you were clumsy about such matters, but I must revise my opinion of you…critically.” 

Apparently, it was an attack from her that had caused Kojou to trip. If she hadn’t attacked, they’d have been discovered by the guards monitoring the abbey, no doubt leading to a troublesome investigation. He supposed she had helped them out…technically. 

Not that it changed that he’d been caught skipping class by his homeroom teacher. 

“Aiba, you really should pick someone better. This is why you’re on track to be a bitchy lifelong virgin with nothing but good looks…” 

“Ugh, just leave me alone,” Asagi muttered weakly. “And I’m not bitchy…” 

Apparently, even though it was an awful thing to say, even she couldn’t completely refute it. 

Kojou, letting Asagi go now that she had calmed down, quickly continued on. “Anyway, Natsuki, what’s going on here? What’s the Island Guard doing in a place like this?” 

Natsuki snorted with disdain. “It’s bad for you to clumsily sniff around, so I’ll tell you. Don’t tell anyone else, especially not the middle schoolers.” 

That said, she lashed out with her fan once more. There was a squishing sound as a small animal fell at her feet. 

When Kojou looked closer, it was an origami paper squirrel. Complex spells and magical symbols were drawn on the sides of the paper, in Yukina’s methodical handwriting. Apparently, her shikigami had been monitoring Kojou and Asagi from the moment they’d left the school. 

Natsuki striking it down meant she didn’t want Yukina to overhear what would follow. 

“You remember Kensei Kanase, yes?” 

Natsuki’s abrupt question made Kojou recall the face of a gloomy-looking sorcerous engineer. “That’s Kanase’s dad, right? I heard he pled down and got a reduced sentence?” 

“That’s right. As a suspect in the incident involving the Masked, he was sentenced to probation at a Management Corporation facility.” 

Kojou had a bad feeling as he murmured, “Did something happen to the old man?” 

Why was Natsuki bringing up Kanon’s dad in a place like this—? 

“The day before yesterday, Kensei Kanase was attacked by someone. He’s alive, but heavily injured.” 

“Attacked?!” 

Kojou stood up in surprise. If Kensei Kanase had been attacked, and then the next day, his daughter had been targeted…there was no doubt the two were connected. 

“…Did an alchemist with red-and-white checkered clothing do it?” 

Natsuki raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You know Kou Amatsuka?” 

“I didn’t know his name, but I met the guy yesterday. Seemed like he was after Kanase.” 

“I see… Understood. I have Kanon Kanase under guard, but don’t let her know that Kensei was attacked. I want them to go on the field trip exactly as planned. It’s probably safer that way.” 

I see, thought Kojou. “So that puts them off the island and out of harm’s way…” 

Itogami Island was isolated, over three hundred kilometers south of the mainland and surrounded by deep water. Strict security checks were conducted at every airport and harbor. If Kanon escaped off the island, it was nigh impossible for the perpetrator to follow suit. It wasn’t a bad plan at all. 

“At any rate, she won’t be allowed to see her father, Kensei Kanase, while he’s serving his sentence. Letting her know he’s been injured will only make her worry. Besides, her safety comes first here.” 

“If that’s so, then I won’t tell her… But if the culprit ain’t caught by the time she comes back, aren’t we right where we started?” 

The corner of Natsuki’s lips curled up in mild amusement as she looked at Kojou. “And what of it?” 

“Isn’t there something I can do?” Kojou replied with rare eagerness. “What should I do?” 

Natsuki chortled as she cleared her throat. Her smile afterward was wry. 

Asagi clutched her head. Aah, you idiot, why’d you have to— 

But it was already too late. 

“I see, you want to be helpful?” Natsuki asked. “I was just thinking about how nice it would be for you two to take remedial lessons for three times the amount of class time you’ve skipped.” 

“Not that!” 

A pathetic look came over Kojou as he, too, bent over in dejection. 

Asagi jabbed Kojou in the side and then looked up at the sky, sighing. The small earring in her left ear twinkled gently as it reflected the color of the sky. 

7 

After school that day, Kojou had finally managed to finish his supplemental lessons and was leaving campus when he found a young woman waiting for him at the gate. The sun, falling ever lower in the sky, shone vividly upon her cheeks—and the guitar case on her back. 

Her almost too-perfect face was as beautiful as always, but her aloof, standoffish aura was even stronger than usual. Apparently she was still in a prickly mood. 

What in the world’s going on? Maybe I should just pretend not to notice and walk right past her. Hesitating, he was still pondering the idea half-seriously when the girl approached on her own, robbing him of any avenue of retreat. 

Yukina’s voice was calm and unemotional. “You are rather late today, senpai.” 

Kojou, a bit taken aback by the chill she was giving off, nodded shortly. 

“Y-yeah. In the end, Natsuki dragged me back and made me do extra lesson work, so—” 

“Extra lessons, was it…? All alone with Aiba, was it?” 

“Well, I suppose technically it was all alone with her, but—” Noticing that Yukina’s eyebrows were raised sullenly, Kojou quickly corrected himself. “Errr, she finished her part real quick and went off somewhere on her own. So for most of it I was alone by myself, yeah.” 

“Is that so?” Yukina demanded with a quiet exhale. “Incidentally, what were you two thinking when you skipped school to go to the abbey?” 

“I was worried about cats and stuff. I mean, I figured it’d be dangerous if Kanon was keeping strays there again, since she might run into someone like Amatsuka—er, the alchemist from yesterday.” 

“And what were you going to do if you really had encountered someone?” 

“Umm…” 

Having never considered that, Kojou was at a loss for words. Now he felt like he understood what had the girl in such a sour mood. 

Kou Amatsuka’s ability to transmute matter made him an extremely dangerous opponent to fight. After all, he only needed one touch to transform his enemy into metal. If caught by an ambush, even Kojou would likely go down in one shot. And yet, he’d thoughtlessly taken Asagi, an ordinary person rather than an Attack Mage, to a place where such a dangerous man might be lurking— 

“Sorry, Himeragi. I didn’t think it through.” 

Kojou felt extremely guilty as he hung his head in shame. Yukina, on the other hand, looked like a day-care worker scolding a wayward preschooler. “No, you didn’t. Reflect on this, please.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“If you were attacked again, it would have been Asagi that was put in greater danger.” 

“Probably, yeah. Sorry.” 

“And you mustn’t skip your classes and leave school like that.” 

“Well, that’s true, too…” 

“Also, you’ve been doting on Asagi a little too much lately, senpai. At lunch you were together the entire time, speaking with your faces extremely close like that—” 

“Eh?!” 

Kojou weakly objected to the turn of conversation. “Well, I couldn’t help that. The cafeteria was packed and that table was cramped…” 

“Reflect! On! This! Please!” 

“Err… Sorry.” Kojou, not entirely convinced, nonetheless succumbed to Yukina’s overbearing demeanor and lowered his head. He easily buckled to scolding. 

“Goodness, you really mustn’t make me worry like that. The important thing is that you’re both safe and sound.” 

Upon saying this, Yukina slumped her shoulders slightly. Kojou, who kept his head bowed, felt like her mood had improved just a little. 

“I will be with Kanase during the field trip. So please behave, senpai. Do not poke your nose into anything you shouldn’t, even out of worry.” 

Kojou’s face twitched. Still, he nodded and haltingly assured, “R…right. I’ll do that. Thanks.” 

He’d meant to keep Yukina in the dark about the attack on Kensei Kanase. Like Kanon, Yukina would be away from Itogami Island for four days starting the next morning. Giving her unnecessary information would only worry her; they’d simply have to catch the alchemist without them, and before the girls got back. 

Yukina, perceptive as always that something was off, admonished Kojou once more. “Of course, you may not drink the blood of other girls while I’m away.” 

“Got it. It’s all right. I promise. We can bet on it if you want.” 

Kojou’s declaration was clear as day. It wasn’t like he had any plans to drink someone’s blood regardless, so even putting money on it wasn’t a problem. He went on to add, in all seriousness, “It’s been a while since you’ve had a break, so go have fun and don’t worry about other people, ’kay? And make sure Nagisa doesn’t fall for anything too crazy, please.” 

His Watcher seemed to finally lower her guard. Yukina giggled a bit at the sight of Kojou’s genuine concern for his little sister. 

“Understood,” she said. “Now, there’s one favor I’d like from you first, senpai.” 

“Favor?” 

“There’s somewhere I’d like to bring you.” 

This request was a surprise. It wasn’t often that Yukina was the one asking Kojou for something. 

She continued, “It might take a little time, though… Two, three hours at most.” 

“I don’t really mind, but…where’re we going?” 

“We’ll get off at the next station. It’s not a long walk from there.” 

“R-right.” 

Kojou followed Yukina’s directions and got off at a particularly busy monorail station. 

Yukina confirmed their route on the station’s guide map and they made their way down a meandering lane. There were few people passing through, but the hilly road was filled with quiet tension nonetheless. Kojou’s face twitched as he continued to walk by Yukina’s side. 

Lines of hotels surrounded the road Kojou and Yukina walked along. These weren’t places for travelers to lodge, though—they were the sort of hotels men and women visited for more amorous affairs. 

“Himeragi, um, this street is…” 

Yukina lowered her eyes as she spoke, voice stiff. “I’m sorry, senpai. I’m a little nervous, too. It’s my first time here.” 

What’s with this all of a sudden, thought Kojou, completely beside himself. This was going way too fast. He wondered if it had something to do with her earlier admonition not to drink the blood of other girls. 

The trigger for vampiric urges was lust. Put the opposite way, if one’s lust was satisfied, vampiric urges wouldn’t happen in the first place. Perhaps that was why Yukina was bringing Kojou to a place like this, to offer up her own body to satisfy his lust…? 

“Himeragi, is bringing me here some kind of order from the Lion King Agency?” 

Yukina replied in her usual business tone, “Yes. It was detailed in the message that arrived yesterday.” 

So that’s what this is, Kojou thought, biting his lip. 

“Um, you know, you don’t have to push it this far, I think. Or more like, this is something you should do when the time’s right, not all of a sudden? Yeah. You should have a little more regard for yourself here.” 

Yukina sighed. “I realize that this is sudden, but it needs to be taken care of before I leave Itogami Island.” 

“T-taken care of…?” 

Kojou couldn’t conceal his confusion at Yukina’s casual attitude. Maybe she didn’t really mind this turn of developments, even if it was spurred on by external events? 

Certainly, Kojou bore no distaste for the girl. Of course he found her charming. But he found it unpleasant that the Lion King Agency had ordered such a thing. And more than that, there was something extremely wrong with Yukina’s personality. Even if she was a nationally accredited surveillance specialist, she had no idea how deeply her own private life would be monitored from the day they established that kind of relationship. 

I really should turn her down flat, thought Kojou, but the instant he hardened that resolve— 

Yukina took hold of Kojou’s hand, and cut him off. 

“Senpai… I’m sorry, can you close your eyes for a moment?” 

That was enough to empty Kojou’s head of all thought. Yukina’s hand was smaller, softer, and much nicer feeling than one would think. It wasn’t like she was tightly gripping his hand, but he still lacked the strength to shake her off. 

Kojou felt a throb and a metallic scent spreading within his mouth—I might be a total goner at this rate—but the moment Kojou despaired, he was struck by an unpleasant impact that felt like a quiet jolt. 

“You can open your eyes now, senpai. We’ve arrived.” 

And just like that, Yukina let go of Kojou’s hand. 

Kojou was half out of it as he looked up at the building before him. It was like an air pocket within the hotel district, a little building built with bricks. The windows were old school–stained glass; there was a weathered wooden sign above the door. Apparently, this had been Yukina’s actual destination. 

Kojou was still somewhat confused as Yukina explained why she’d held his hand. 

“There is a ward to drive people away. I led you in because it’s possible that a primogenitor-class demon’s magical energy might destroy the ward.” 

Kojou felt all his strength drain from him as he drooped forward. He was so embarrassed by his arbitrary assumptions he thought he’d die on the spot. 

Eventually, Kojou glanced up at the store sign and asked, “What is this place? Some kind of antique shop…?” 

Based on the storefront, it was an antique shop specializing in imported, old-school furniture. He wasn’t sure what the demand was like in an ultra-modern Demon Sanctuary, but it seemed like Natsuki Minamiya’s kind of place. 

However, Yukina slowly shook her head at Kojou’s words. Tension marked her face, but as she slid the guitar case off her back and drew the silver spear out, she smiled in a way that seemed just a little homesick. 

“…This is the Lion King Agency.”